Seed-discharging mechanism



Jaa. 11 '1927. 1,613,831

.H. H. HUNIINGTQN ET AL SEED DI SCHARGI NG MECHANI SM Filed March 15 .1922

Patented Jan. 11, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HIRAM H. HUNTINGTON' AND ELMER E. TOWLE, 0F RICHMOND, INDIANA, ASSIGNORS T0 INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER COMPANY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A .CORPORA- TION OF ILLINOIS.

SEED-DISCHARGING MECHANISM.

Application tiled March 13, 1922. Serial 110.543,26.

This invention relates to mechanism for discharging particles 'of matter, such as seeds, one by one from a. container or hopper, and ismore specifically .concerned with improvements in the particular type of mechanism making use of gravity for discarding surplus seed from the selectingand discharging'means.

The objects of the invention are to simplify the mechanism of this class of devices,

and to provide a construction which will be accurate and efficient in operation and aord easy access to the operating parts to permit exchange of the novel form of seed plates employed, and also one so constructed that the seeds are exposed to the least possible number of moving parts, and in which seed selection and discharge are accomplished wholly by gravity and without possibility of bruising the seeds.

These objects are accomplished by providing an inclined dished base plate carrying a hopper the bottom opening of which is of the same size as the dished plate, the seed selecting and carrying means consisting only of vprojections travelling within the margin of the dished plate and elevating single seeds to a discharge opening, all other moving and driving parts being located outside the dished plate and hopper and away from possible contact witli the seeds, the elements and arrangement thereof employed in said constructionv being of novel form. t

VWith the foregoing principal objects lin View, the invention resides in the organization, and parts, or their equivalents, described in' the` following specification and defined in the claims.

Having reference to the drawings- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of. a hopper and discharge mechanism embodying our invention;

in Fig. 5; Y f Y Fig. 7 is a detail plan view of afeed ring; and, Y

"Fig, 2 is a longitudinal vertical section Fig. ,8 is a side view ofthe same.

In the present instance, we have illustrated our invention as comprising a hopper lOsupported on a ring plate 11, which is mounted on a base plate 12. This base plate is supported on a frame (in this case a Walking planter) in any suitable manner, and the seeds ,discharged from the hopper pass into a chute 13 and thence to a boot 14 which leads to the planting mechanism. The base plate 12 is formed with a central concave or dished portion 12a surrounded by an annular channel portion 12b, which are preferably integrally formed. The dished portion of the plate is provided, at a point which becomes approximately its upper margin when in operating position, with a discharge opening 12C, and the annular channel is provided with an opening 12d for admission of the driving pinion to be described. The outer wall of the annular channel'12b is formed with a bearing ledge 12e, which is slightly below the level of the edge of the marginal wall of the dished portion of the plate and servesV to support the drive gear and feed plate to be described. The base plate is also provided with opposite projections 12t which serve for attachment lof the ring plate 11, which is formed with similar projections or ears connected to the base plate by bolts 15. The ring plate 11 is of such form and size as to completely cover and seal the channel portion of the base plate leaving the dished portion exposed, and also leaving a suiicient space between itself and the edge of the dished portion of the base plate for admission of the seed feeding device. The inner edge of the ring plate is provided with a seat or ledge'lla on which the hopper 10 is l secured, the llower opening. of the hopper being thus co-extensive with the dished portion of the base plate. i

The hopper is here illustrated as formed ofa lower cast portion 1()a and an upper sheet metal portion 1Q1J provided withv a hinged cover secured by spring latch 10, but itis obvious that a different construction of hopper can be employed if preferred. Within the hopper there is mounted a partition plate 16 which is provided with an opening 16al nearvthe lower bottom wall of.

the hopper, the size of which opening can be regulated or the opening entirely closed by means'of a pivoted valve plate 17, which CII has an operating handle 17a accessible between the partition plate 16 and the Wall of the hopper. This construction peiinits the space Within the hopper' enclosed by the partition plate 16 to be filled with seed, and the seed to be discharged to the lower portion of the dished plate in regulated quantities as desired, and when the opening is closed the hopper can be swung away to afford access to the seed plate. rihe channel portion of the base plate serves as a seat` for a gear ring 1S, Which is formed With a horizontal marginal flange 18n engaging and riding on the bearing ledge 12e on the base plate, This ring is driven by means of a pinion 19 which projects through the aperture 121 in the channel portion of the base plate. The upper face of the gear ring is provided With a plurality of studs 18h, and on the gear ring there is supported a feed ring 2O formed with perfoi'ations 2Oa for receiving the studs 18 on the gear ring. The gear ring and feed rino' must, therefore, rotate together, but the f ed ring can be easily removed by simply lifting it from the gear ring.

It will be understood that several feed rings adapted to different seeds may be employed, but as they Will vary only in the number and size of the seed carrying members thereon only one of the rings needs to be described. Each ring is formed with integral seed carrying projections 20 on its inner edge, the ends 20 of which are offset from the plane of the body of the ring and extends laterally at right angles in the direction of rotation. These ends and the continuing edges of the projections 2Ob are flattened or widened as at 20C and present a hook-lilieform and provide recesses or seed pockets lying in a plane parallel with that of the ring body and substantially in contact With the bottom of the dished plate at the margin thereof, the under side of the projections QG" and their ends 2Oc coliforming in shape to the outer portion and marginal Wall of the dished plate and the lateral extensions 20@ forming ledges or lips on which the seed rests before being discharged. These lips or ledges provide space for only aV single seed of the kind for which the particular plate being used is intended. The space left betiveen the edge of the dished plate and the inner edge of the ring plate is approximately equal to the thickness of the feed ring, and there is therefore no space or openings left 'through Which seeds can escape into the driving mechanism, the only moving parts to which the seeds are exposed being the projections 20h.

In operation the pinion 19 drives the gear Vand feed ring in a contracloclrivisedirection, andas the seed pockets on the ends 20.0 pass the `lovver side of the dislied plate they collect seeds released from the hopper 10 through 1,e13,ssi

the feed opening 16a and elevate them toward the outlet 12C in the upper side of the dislied plate. its the seed pocket travels up- Wardly excess seed will be discharged by gravity, and when the pocket reaches the outlet there will be but one seedA retained on the projecting ledge or lip 20C. in this Way successive seeds are fed to the chute 13 and to the planting mechanism at regular intervals and Without danger of injury to the seeds being discharged.

le claim as our invention: 1. A discharging device comprising a dish shaped plate having a discharge opening at one side, and means for feeding seeds to the opening including an element supported forV rotation outside the periphery of the plate and provided with a part traveling Within the marginal Wall of the plate and formed With a pocket adapted to retain a single seed.

A discharging device comprising an inclined dished plate having a discharge open.-

ing in its upper portion, means for elevating seeds to the opening including an element supportedfor rotation outside the periphery of' said plate and provided with a part ,trav` the concavity of the plate, said projections having` seed carrying portions, and means for rotating said ring.

t. A discharging device comprising anv inclined concave plate provided with a. discharging opening in itsV upper portion, a feed ring mounted for rotation above the margin of said plateV and outside its ,periphery and formed withV projections on its, inner edge extending Within the concavity Aof the plate, said projections having seed carry? ing portions, and means for rota-ting said ring. 4 j

5. A discharging device comprising an inclined. plate formed with a concave portion having a discharging opening in itsupper side, a feed ring mounted for rotation on said plate outside the margin of said conf cave portion, means for rotating said ring, and seed carrying projections onthe inner edge of said ring extending downwardly within the margin oftheconcave portion.

6. A discharging device comprisinga-ninclined plate formed with a concave portion having a discharging opening in its upper side, a feed ring mounted for rotationl on said plate outside the margin of saidi concave portion, meansy for rotating said ring, and projections on the inner edge of said ring extending downwardly Within the concave portion and formed with laterally hooked ends extending adjacent the bottom thereof.

7. A discharging device comprising an inclined plate formed with a concave portion having a discharging opening in its upper side, a feed ring mounted for rotation on said plate outside the margin of said concave portion, means for rotating said ring, and projections on the inner edge of the ring extending downwardly Within the marginal wall of the concave portion and Shaped to conform to the contour thereof and having laterally extending lips lying substantially in contact with the bottom of the concavey portion and forming hooklilre seed carrying pockets. i

8. A discharging device comprising an inclined concave plate provided with a dis charging opening in its upper portion, a gear ring supported for rotation outside the periphery of said plate, vmeans for driving the gear, and seed carrying means on the gear comprising projections extending within the concavity of the plate.

9. A discharging device comprising an inclined base plate formed with a central dished portion and an annular channel surrounding the dished portion, said dished portion having a. discharging opening in its upper side, a gear ring seated in said channel and having a marginal flange bearing on the edge of the plate, mea-ns for driving said gear ring, a seed ring carried by the gear lower side of said dished portion including a partition between the hopper and base plate having afeed opening.

1l. A discharging device comprising an inclined base plate formedy with a central dished portion having a discharge opening in its upper side, a ring plate supported on the periphery of the base plate and extending to the margin of said dished portion, a hopper supported on the inner edge of said ring plate, and a feed ring mounted for rotation between the outer portion of the base plate and the ring plate and provided with seed carrying projections extending within the dished portion of the base plate.

In testimony whereof we aftiX our signatures.

hl HIRAM H. HUNTINGTON ELMER E. ToWLE. 

